Peer Review Committee

The Governance Overview, Membership Policy and Recusal Policy of the Digital Square Peer Review Committee has been approved by the Governing Board. Any changes to the policies require board approval.

Governance Overview

Role of the Peer Review Committee

The PRC is not a governing body and its recommendations to the Governing Board are non- binding; however, the PRC plays a critical role as technical experts, assessing the technical and programmatic appropriateness of submitted proposals. The PRC’s role is to:

• Evaluate proposals against global goods criteria and provide technical feedback to authors
• Evaluate the programmatic and contextual appropriateness of a proposal in meeting health system challenges.
• Evaluate submitted proposals and assign green, amber, or red lit status.

Responsibilities

• Review all investment proposals, utilizing the global goods criteria.
• Support the dhi by voting on proposals to move forward for investment, investigate further, or decline outright.
• Support the dhi management team by providing additional technical guidance as requested in regard to green or amber lit investment proposals.
• Share knowledge and provide technical and strategic advice in areas of expertise.

Composition

The PRC is comprised of a diverse set of the foremost leaders and thinkers in digital health technology. The PRC does not have a limit on the number of Members. Seats are allocated to organizations, referred to as Member Organizations. There is no term limit. The PRC is comprised of Member Organizations and Representatives who meet the following membership criteria:

• Are recognized as experts in global health informatics, information technology, software development, and/or interoperability.
• Have expertise in regional and global digital health systems.
• Fulfill a balanced representation of the diverse group of stakeholders in digital health, including country governments, donor organizations, implementing organizations, technology vendors, and other constituencies.
• Willingness to comply with required participation as described in the governance documents.

Conflict of interest

Members will disclose organizational or personal/financial conflicts before proposal review. The Chair will determine the scope of the conflict and the necessity for recusal. It is important to note that members are not likely to be recused from the review and feedback process on a proposal, but rather just voting, as their feedback is integral to the “peer” in Peer Review Committee. This will be applied fairly but may vary by situation.

Voting

Each PRC member organization receives one vote. Representatives and Alternates should come to a consensus in order to cast one organizational. All votes are weighed equally. PATH as the ex officio chair does not have a vote. The PRC member organizations cast their votes for green-, amber-, or red-light on the proposals. The breakdown of the organizational votes is then communicated to the Governing Board.

In the case of the DH&I WG group, each organization within the group receives one vote, all of which are weighed equally. The majority vote within the DH&I WG is then cast as the DH&I WG organizational vote. In the event of a tie between green and amber, the vote will be cast as green. In the event of a tie between green and red, the vote will be cast as amber. In the event of a tie between amber and red, the vote will be cast as amber.

Membership Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this PRC Membership Policy (this “Policy”) is to delineate the criteria for membership on the Peer Review Committee (the “PRC”) of Digital Square.

Peer Review Committee composition

The PRC will be comprised of a diverse set of the foremost leaders and thinkers in digital health technology. The PRC will not have a limit on the number of members. Seats will be allocated to organizations, which will appoint expert representatives. Organizations will assign one PRC Representative and one Alternate to each seat, both of whom should meet the membership criteria.

Member selection criteria

Commitment

Availability and commitment to contributing time, including, at minimum, participation in three annual and six reading days. Ad hoc meetings, reading days, and virtual communication will be called for as needed. The total time commitment is estimated at up to one day per month.

Expertise

Recognized as experts in global health informatics, information technology, software development, interoperability, and regional and global digital health systems. Members should fulfill a balanced representation of the diverse group of stakeholders in digital health, including country governments, donor organizations, implementing organizations, technology vendors, and other stakeholders.

Collaboration

Willingness and commitment to engaging in discussion of ideas and dialogue to explore a variety of solutions.

Commitment to the Principles of Digital Development

Ability and enthusiasm to act as an ambassador and advocate for the Principles of Digital Development.

Judgment

High-level judgment in complex situations and acute analytical skills.

Conflict of interest

Ability and willingness to abide by the PRC’s Conflict of Interest and Recusal Policy.

Member selection process

Process

The Digital Square management team, in conjunction with the existing PRC Members, will conduct a consultative process to recruit PRC Members, leveraging relationships with the Health Data Collaborative’s Digital Health and Interoperability Working Group and the wider digital health community.

List of candidates

The Digital Square management team, with guidance from the Digital Square Director, existing PRC Members, the Chair, and other stakeholders, will review interested organizations for eligibility criteria for PRC membership.

Selection

The existing PRC Members, the Digital Square Director, and the Chair will recruit PRC Members that are willing to fulfill the expectations of membership on the PRC.

Membership

Member Organizations

All seats on the PRC are allocated to organizations, which are Member Organizations. Each Member Organization will be represented by a Representative and must appoint at least one Alternate to the PRC.

Representatives

Individuals appointed to represent their organization to the PRC are Representatives. The Representative must have the capacity and authority to represent the Member Organization in discussions and recommendation-making. Each Member Organization may change its Representative at its own discretion; however, the Member Organization is required to notify the PRC at in advancereview.

Alternates

Member Organizations must appoint at least one Alternate to the PRC. Alternates may serve in place of Representatives due to a Representative’s absence or the Alternate’s superior subject matter knowledge. There is no limit to Alternates’ participation in PRC web-conferences and deliberation; however, only one vote is allocated to each Member Organization.

PRC Members

PRC Members refers inclusively to Member Organizations, Representatives, and Alternates.

Term

There is no term length for PRC membership; however, Representatives should plan to participate for a minimum of one year for continuity. Member Organizations may change their Representative at their own discretion; however, the Member Organization is required to notify the PRC Chair review.

=Responsibilities

• Review all investment proposals, utilizing the global goods criteria.
• Support Digital Square by providing recommendations on which proposals to move forward for investment, investigate further, or decline outright.
• Support the Digital Square management team by providing additional technical guidance as requested in regard to green or amber lit investment proposals.
• Share knowledge and provide technical and strategic advice in areas of expertise.

Participation

Members are required to participate in three annual review processes. Participation will be recorded.

Alternates

PRC Members may send one of their Alternates to participate in their absence. If neither the Representative nor any of the Alternates is available, a proxy may participate, with three days’ prior written notice and approval from the Chair. Proxies must meet membership criteria.

Acting in good faith

Subject to their respective roles, PRC Members will act in good faith in the best interests of the development of digital health global goods.

Conflict of interest

All PRC Members will abide by the PRC’s Conflict of Interest and Recusal Policy.

Fulfillment of obligations

A PRC Member who does not fulfill his/her responsibilities as described in this Policy or misses two review processes without reasonable explanation will be asked by the Chair to resign. If the PRC Member refuses to resign, a vote will be taken on the removal of the Member from the PRC.

Resignation

A Member Organization may resign at any time by giving notice in writing to the Chair and the Digital Square Director at least four weeks in advance.

Representative resignation

Should a Member Organization change its Representative or a Representative resign from his/her role with the Member Organization, an Alternate should fill the role as Representative and the Member Organization should appoint another Alternate. The Member Organization should give notice in writing to the Chair and the Digital Square Director at least four weeks in advance.

Current Membership

Digital Square's Peer Review Committee is comprised of the following organizations.

• African Centre for eHealth Excellence (Acfee)
• Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN)
• Digital Square (ex officio)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Department for International Development (DFID)
• Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL)
• Health Data Collaborative (HDC) via the Digital Health & Interoperability Working Group including:
  • IntraHealth International
  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • MEASURE Evaluation
  • RTI
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER)
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)